Key mechanism for clarinet



June 11, 1968 R. MAZZEO 3,387,528

KEY MECHANISM FOR CLARINET Filed Oct. '7, 1965 United States Patent "ice 3,387,528 KEY MECHANISM FOR CLARINET Rosario Mazzeo, Boston Symphony Hall, Boston, Mass. Filed Oct. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 493,780 7 Claims. (Cl. 84-382) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure of the invention comprises mechanism for producing the bottom notes of a clarinet normally played with the little finger of either hand which includes an F/C key and finger plaque and an Fit/Cit key and finger plaque, of which the Fit/Cit finger plaque is located rearwardly of said F/ C finger plaque, said F/ C and F 1V Cli finger plaques having finger engaging surfaces in substantial alignment transversely of the clarinet to be engaged alternatively by the extension and contraction of the little finger right hand.

In the preferred arrangement and Eb/Bb key and finger plaque is provided, the Eb/Bb finger plaque being located rearwardly of the E/B finger plaque, and said E/B and Eb/Bb finger plaques having finger engaging surfaces in substantial alignment transversely of the clarinet in line with the little finger right hand to be engaged alternatively by the extension and contraction of said little finger right hand.

The F/C and Fit/Cit keys are supported to turn about the same. axis, and the Fit/Cit key and finger plaque partially overlies and engages the F/ C finger plaque to press the F/C key.

The E/B and Eb/Bb keys are supported to turn on the same axis with the F/C and Fit/Ci? keys, and the Eb/Bb key partially overlies and engages the E/B key to press same.

The present invention relates to an improved key mechanism for clarinets, and more particularly to a novel and improved construction and arrangement of the keys for producing the notes at the lower end of the instrument.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved key mechanism for producing the notes at the lower end of the clarinet, and to provide a more satisfactory fingering for playing the notes with the little finger right hand including F/C and Fit/Cit, and in clarinets having Eb/Bb for playing also E/B and Eb/Bb.

It is another object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of the keys for producing the very low notes which will permit a more rapid, precise movement of the little finger right hand from one to another of these notes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel and improved construction of the key mechanism which will provide a simple and effective structure adapted for the location and operation of the several keys in the manner set forth.

With these and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, a feature of the invention consists in an arrangement of the keys for playing the bottom notes of the clarinet in which the Ffi/Cii finger plaque is located rearwardly of the F/ C finger plaque, the finger engaging surfaces of said plaques being in substantial alignment 'transversely of the clarinet to be engaged alternatively by the extension and contraction of said little finger right hand. The usual E/B key and finger plaque are located in parallel relation to the F/C key and finger plaque. In clarinets having the low note Eb/Bb, the Eb/Bb finger plaque is located rerawardly of the E/ B finger plaque in the same manner as the Fit/Cit finger plaque relative to the finger plaque F/ C.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the contact sur- 3,387,528 Patented June 11, 1968 faces of the two plaques are substantially flush with one another permitting the finger to be shifted or slid readily from one to the other key operating position. The operator can press the outer finger plaque independently of the inner finger plaque which remains unmoved. The finger is extended to press the inner finger plaque which overlies the outer finger plaque slightly causing both keys to be pressed. The finger plaques of the second pair of keys E/ B and Eb/Bb are similarly arranged.

Another feature of the invention consists in the arrangement of the several keys to turn on a single axis so that the broken connections provided for pressing the F/C key with the Fit/Ct key, for pressing the E/B key with the Eb/Bb key, and for pressing the F/C key with the E/B key will operate without introducing undesirable frictions in the movement and return of the several keys.

The several features of the invention will be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in top elevation of substantially the lower joint of a clarinet illustrating the key mechanism for producing the bottom notes of the register;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of substantially the parts shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat framentary view looking from the rear side of the instrument as shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the Fit/Cit key mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on a line 4-4 of FIG. 1 illustrating particularly the F/C and Fit/Ct keys and finger plaques;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view in perspective of the several key mechanisms including the keys and finger plaques, the hole closing levers and pads, and the operating connections therebetween.

The key mechanism which forms the subject matter of the present invention is disclosed in the drawings as embodied in a clarinet of the general type illustrated in my prior Patent No. 2,867,146 dated I an. 6, 1959 for Clarinet, in which there is shown key mechanism of conventional type adapted to be operated by the little finger of either hand for operating those lower notes of the clarinet, including Ab/Eb and the four lowest notes of the instrument, Fit/Ct, F/C, E/B, and Eb/Bb.

Referring to the drawings, the key mechanism for sounding the bottom notes referred to comprises an axle 20 supported at intervals on posts 22, 24, 26, and 28 providing a turning axis for an Eb/Bb hole closing pad and lever 30 having a sleeve hub 32 on the axle, an E/B hole closing pad and lever 34 with a sleeve hub 36, an Fit/Cit hole closing pad and lever 38 having a sleeve hub 40, and an F/C hole closing pad and lever 42 sleeved on the axle at 44. Operating keys for the several hole closing pads and levers described are pivoted on the axle 29 from right to left in the following order: an Eb/Bb key 46 sleeved on the axle and having a finger plaque 48; an Fit/Cit key 50 having a sleeve hub 52 and a finger plaque 54; and E/B key 56 pivoted on the axle 20 and having a finger plaque 58; and an F/C key 60 pivoted on the axle and having a finger plaque 62.

As will be evident from an inspection of FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the finger plaque 62, for the F/C key is located directly in front of the finger plaque 54 for the Fit/Ci key and in effect forms a continuation thereof requiring only a slight extension or contraction of the little finger right hand to shift from one to the other key. As shown in FIG. 4 the front edge of the Fit/Ct finger plaque 54 is undercut and overlies a correspondingly sloped rear edge of the F/C finger plaque 62 so that pressing of the Flt/Cit key causes the F/C key also to be pressed. The finger plaque 58 for the 15/3 key mounted in parallel relation to the F/C key is similarly located directly in front of the finger plaque 48 for the Eb/Bb key requiring only a slight extension of the little finger to play one or the other note. The adjacent edges of the two finger plaques are similarly sloped so that pressing of the Eb/Bl: key finger plaque causes the E/B key to be simultaneously pressed. An abutment 66 on the F/C key extends beneath the finger plaque 58 of the E/B key so that pressing of either the E/B key or Eb/Bb key will at the same time cause the F/C key to be actuated.

The several keys above referred to are connected to the associated hole closing pads and levers by means of tie members; the Eb/Bb key 46 being connected to the Eb/Bb hole closing lever 30 by means of a tie rod 68, the E/B key 56 being connected to the E/B hole closing lever 34 and sleeve hub 36 by means of a tie rod 70, the F/C key 60 being connected to the F/C hole closing lever 42 by means of a tie rod 72. The Fit/C3 key has attached to the sleeve hub 52 thereof a longitudinally extending arm 74 which engages one side of projection 76 on the sleeve hub of the Fit/Cit hole closing lever 38. The Fi/Cil key 50 is biased to a normally raised position by a spring 78. The Flt/Cit hole closing lever is biased to the open position by a lighter spring 80 but is normally held closed by the engagement of arm '74 with projection 76 under the influence of the much heavier spring 78. When the Fit/Cit key is pressed the Flt/Cit hole closing lever and pad 38 is permitted to open under the influence of its spring 80.

An Ab/Eb key 84 is provided having a finger plaque 86 which is located to the left of the F/C key to be operated also by the little finger right hand. The key 84 is attached to a rock shaft 88 pivoted at opposite ends in posts 90, 92. An Ab/ Eb hole closing lever and pad 84 secured to the rock shaft 88 is normally held in hole closing position and the key 84 raised by a spring 96.

While the usual alternatively available keys for playing each of the low notes including Ab/Eb, Fit/Ch, F/ C, E/B, and Eb/Bb have not been illustrated, it will be understood that the use of such keys connected in such a manner as to operate alternatively with the several little finger right hand operated keys herein illustrated and described is contemplated in accordance with the disclosure of my prior patent above referred to. When the E/B key is pressed the Flt/Ct? hole covering lever and pad are closed even though the Flt/Cit key actuated by the little finger left hand, not shown, is also pressed by connections which include an arm 98 on the sleeve hub 36 of E/B hole closing lever 34 which engages beneath one arm of a rocker lever 100, the other arm of which extends over the Flt/Cit hole closing lever 38.

Advantages of my improved key mechanism for producing the bottom notes of the clarinet herein described include the improved fingering of these notes, by which the playing of rapid and diflicult passages is made easier and more certain. Further, the mounting of the several keys and hole covering levers to turn about a single axis makes possible a simple and more compact construction and eliminates undersiralble frictions normally introduced by the interlocking connections required to effect the coordinated opening and closing of the several hole closin-g levers and pads.

The invention having been described what is claimed is:

1. Key mechanism for producing the bottom notes of a clarinet, normally played by the little finger either hand, which comprises with tone holes, normally open F/C, and E/B tone hole closing levers and pads, and a normally closed Flt/Cit tone hole closing lever and pad, keys operatively connected with said respective tone hole closing levers and pads, comprising an -F/ C key and finger plaque, an Flt/Cit key and finger plaque, said Fit/Cit finger plaque being located rearwardly of said F/C finger plaque, said F/C and Flt/Cit finger plaques having finger engaging surfaces in substantial alignment transversely of the clarinet in line with the little finger right hand to be engaged alternatively by the extension and contraction of said little finger right hand, and an E/B key and finger plaque disposed at one side of said F C finger plaque, an Eb/Bb tone hole, a normally closed Eb/Bb tone hole closing lever and pad, and an Eb/Bb key and finger plaque located rearwardly of said E/B finger plaque, said E/B and Eb/Bb finger plaques having finger engaging surfaces in substantial alignment transversely of the clarinet in line with the little finger right hand to be engaged alternatively by the extension and contraction of said little finger right hand.

2. A key mechanism for a clarinet according to claim 1, in which the Fit/Cit finger plaque partially overlies and engages said F/ C finger plaque to press said F/C key.

3. A key mechanism for a clarinet according to claim 1 in which said Fit/Cit, F/C, E/B, and Eb/Bb keys are supported to turn about the same axis, and in which said F/Cil key and finger plaque partially overlies and engages said F/C key and finger plaque to press said F/C key, said Eb/Bb key and finger plaque partially overlies and engages said E/ B key and finger plaque to press said E/B key, and an extension of said F/C key and finger plaque underlies said E/B key and finger plaque to be engaged and pressed by said E/ B key when pressed.

4. A key mechanism for a clarinet according to claim 1, in which means are provided for supporting all of said hole closing levers and keys to turn on a single axis extending longitudinally of the clarinet.

5. A key mechanism according to claim 1 in which an axle extends lengthwise of the clarinet, individual Fit/Cit, F/C, E/B, and Eb/Bb hole closing levers and pads are supported to turn on said axle, individual Fi/Cll, F/C, E/B, and Eb/Bb keys having finger plaques are supported to turn on said axle, and an operating connection is provided between each said key and the corresponding hole closing lever and pad.

6. Key mechanism for producing the bottom notes Fit/Ct F/C, and E/B of a clarinet normally played by the little finger either hand, which comprises, with tone holes, means providing an axle support extending lengthwise of said clarinet, normally open F/C and E/B tone hole closing levers and pads mounted to turn on said axle support, and a normally closed Fit/Cit tone hole closing lever and pad mounted to turn on said axle support, keys operable by the little finger right hand connected with said respective tone hole closing levers and pads, comprising Fit/Cit, F/C, and E/ B keys and finger plaques individually mounted to turn on said axle support, an operating connection between each said key and the corresponding hole closing lever and pad, and overlying connections between the Fit/Cit key and F/C key and between the E/ B key and F/ C key operation when each of Flt/Cit and E/B keys are pressed to press said F/C key.

7. The combination of claim 6 with an Eb/Bb tone hole normally closed tone hole closing lever and pad mounted to turn on said axle support, an =Eb/Bb key and finger plaque operable by the little finger right hand mounted to turn on said axle support, an operating connection between said Eb/Bb key and hole closing lever and pad, and an overlying connection between said Eb/Bb and E/B keys connecting said Eb/Bb key to press said E/ B key.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,867,146 1/1959 Mazzeo 84382 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

GARY M. POLUMBUS, Assistant Examiner. 

